Broccoli is a popular and nutritious vegetable, but it can sometimes be the victim of pests like Spider Mites that challenge its growth to the extreme level.
Spider Mites are tiny insects or pests that can cause serious damage to your Broccoli plant if you leave them untreated.
So, go through this entire article to find out the actual reason behind Spider Mites’ infestation on your Broccoli and failproof treatment tips.
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5+ Reasons Behind Broccoli Spider Mites
Spider Mites feed on the leaves of Broccoli and suck the liquid from the leaf tissues.
If the invasion becomes excessive, your Broccoli plant may suffer from leaf spots, yellowing, curling, stunted growth, etc.
1. Hot And Dry Conditions
When your garden experiences hot and dry conditions all of a sudden, Broccoli may be susceptible to Spider Mites.
It’s because Spider Mites love the hot and dry conditions and invade the garden actively.
Moreover, in warm weather with low humidity, the population of Spider Mites may increase rapidly.
The increasing population can destroy your Broccoli garden within a short time.
Always plant your Broccoli maintaining a temperature of 40-70°F in 6-8 hours of sunlight daily.
Treatment and Preventive Measures
- Mulching around the plant’s base helps to maintain the correct temperature.
- Always Plant Broccoli after late summer to avoid warm and dry conditions.
- During hot and dry conditions, mist your Broccoli plants once daily.
- Partial shade will be beneficial if the climate is too hot.
2. Monoculture Farming
Spider Mites may invade Broccoli harshly if you are following monoculture farming practices.
This means if you are cultivating this vegetable over a large land area, it may be easy for Spider mites to create a proper condition.
Moreover, for natural predators to arise, there must be crop diversity in a land area.
Furthermore, monoculture farming can stress the plant due to the high consumption of nutrients.
Also, it will be easy for Spider mites to spread and destroy all your Broccoli crops.
Treatments And Preventive Measures
- Rotate the crops to destroy the life cycle of spider Mites.
- Plant diverse crops if you have a large land area instead of planting Broccoli on a whole land area.
- Plant the crops that attract spider mites near Broccoli crops.
- Use biological control methods to increase natural enemies.
3. Too Much Pesticides
Sometimes, when you apply excessive pesticides to kill unwanted pests, your Broccoli may be invaded by Spider Mites.
It’s because Spider Mites are adaptive to most pesticides. However, the Pesticides you apply may kill beneficial insects.
Lack of these beneficial predators may cause a sudden increase of Spider Mites on your Broccoli crops.
Thus, overuse of pesticides may also be the common possible reason behind the flourished population of Spider mites.
Treatments And Preventive Measures
- Use the least amount of pesticides only after reading the label properly.
- Apply different types of pesticides to prevent Spider mites from becoming resistant.
- If you notice any insect eggs, remove them as soon as possible.
- If the weather is hot and dry, stop using pesticides.
- Only apply pesticides in the evening to create an unfavorable environment.
4. Plant Stress
Your Broccoli plant may go under stress due to several conditions like improper watering, soil, diseases, physical damage, etc.
These stressed plants may suffer from stunted growth and produce less nectar. This compels pests like Spider mites to invade more crops than before.
Similarly, excessive or low water may weaken the Broccoli and encourages them to produce more volatile compounds.
These volatile compounds attract Spider mites that cause the spread of several pathogens. This causes diseases like root rot, leaf spots, yellowing, and many more.
Treatment And Preventive Measures
- Water your Broccoli regularly, ensuring the soil is moist but not waterlogged.
- Use a barrier to protect them from physical damage from pets or winds.
- Apply organic pesticides, fungicides, or neem oil to protect your Broccoli from disease stress.
- Use a moisture meter to water your Broccoli properly.
5. Spacing Issues
When you space your Broccoli plants too close, it will be easier for Spider Mites to spread from plant to plant.
Moreover, you can’t see the insects easily between dense vegetable plants making Spider mites increase their population easily.
Furthermore, less spacing results in poor air circulation that stress the Broccoli plant making them susceptible to Spider mites.
Additionally, Broccoli that are too close to each other may compete for resources and become weak.
Treatments And Preventive Measures
- Space your Broccoli plants 18-24 inches apart while planting them.
- Inspect the plants regularly under the leaves to control Spider Mites in earlier stages.
- If the Broccoli develops dense foliage, prune them to thin out the leaves and improve air circulation.
- Remove the damaged leaves as the rotting smell attracts pests easily.
6. Nutrition Deficiency
Nutrition deficiency not only makes your broccoli weak but also makes them unable to fight against diseases and pests.
Moreover, poor growth compared to healthy plants makes Spider Mites attracted to them.
Furthermore, the chemical compounds start decreasing in the Broccoli with poor growth. This makes pests like Spider mites digest them easily.
Also, the soil starts becoming compact, which makes Broccoli unable to absorb nutrients from the soil too.
Treatments And Preventive Measures
- Test the soil to know the lacking nutrients.
- Always plant broccoli in well-draining soil, amending it with organic compost.
- Use balanced fertilizer during the growing season.
- Hydrate the Broccoli crop before applying fertilizer.
- Vermicompost is the perfect option to make the soil fertile and porous.
From Editorial Team
You Are Probably Transporting Spider Mites!
Spider Mites are small insects that can easily stick to your clothes or potted plants. It’s difficult to notice this tiny insect.
When you move from one place to another or move your potted plants, they can spread to your plants unknowingly.
Thus, it’s better to inspect the clothes and moved plants before they cause serious harm to your plants and crops.
